Thoughts On My First Hate Comment
I've been struggling all morning to figure out what I wanted to say about this comment., left on my post "More Photos of the Macy's Protest:"
Your such a douche, such a douche. I wish Boston was still my Boston, not the Boston of the Misift midwest transpants.
Fact is, I know I shouldn't legitimize this comment by even bringing it up, but defense mechanisms inside me can't help it. Obviously, I'm not thrilled by the implications of this comment. Why, simply because I was born in another region, am I not welcome in Boston? Hell, at a time when Massachusetts is losing population faster than any state I should probably be welcomed with open-arms. But that's a wonkish way of looking at it, and clearly this guy isn't coming to this from a rational angle.
What really disturbs me about this comment is the almost xenaphobic outlook it has. At the root, what this person says is that because I'm different, from a different place and have different beliefs than him I don't deserve to be here. How is this root any different than that of "Whites Only" in Jim Crow South or "No Jews Allowed" in Nazi Germany. Obviously power dynamics that supported those racist systems are certainly not in play here, as this comment is referring to a perceived dynamic where newcomers have more power in Boston than long-time residents. Nonetheless, the message rings loud and clear that, because I'm different I don't belong here.
All that being said, I must admit that I understand where this person is coming from. No one can deny that the Boston area has experienced rapid gentrification over the past decade or two. What that process often looks like is young, professional couples buying condos in buildings that once housed extended families for generations, located in areas that used to be solid working-class. Furthermore, these newcomers (yuppies, some would say) often don't have any idea nor do anything to slowdown the negative effect that their presence causes. I think it's a natural human reaction to despise anything perceived to be causing harm to ones self or loved ones.
The problem with this comment, however, is that the guy has no idea who he's talking about. I don't claim to be a Saint or the anti-gentrifier, and I understand quite well the problems with my living in a once solid African-American, working class neighborhood in Cambridge. But the fact is, my very reason for coming to Boston was to work in a field intended to minimize the impacts of gentrification. As a Community Organizer I work every day with low and moderate income people in Somerville to prevent displacement and make sure that it remains a city where families who have lived here for generations can continue to call home and not be forced to outer ring suburbs or other states. At the same time I understand the mobility that we are afforded by living in the United States, and as such that it is our right to move where we so chose.
That's really all I want to say about this, and I'm sure it won't convince this guy that he's wrong. But I'd be interested to hear what your reactions are, whether a Boston native or a newcomer like me. Is my analysis way off?
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